Overnight in Izu - Day 2

It was so nice to get away for a quick overnight trip.  Getting away helps me to reset and refocus.  Since moving, I need these resets more and more.  Of course, one doesn't always need a break to have an excuse to get away, especially when there is a nice place to stay, new things to see, and a relaxed environment. 

Staying in a traditional Japanese hotel means sleeping on futon.  Even the most comfortable futon is not nearly as soft as my bed, so I often double up on the mattress.  When you first enter the room, the room is set up as a living room, but when you're out to dinner they come and change the room into a bedroom.  The futon are usually kept in the closet, so it's easy to grab an extra one.

After a good sleep and a beautiful breakfast, we headed out.  Since the area our timeshare was in was pretty rural, we rode the train down a couple stops to the town of Ito.  Ito is also a very small town, but we were able to do a little bit of shopping. 

The area is known for it's seafood and has tons of it in the shops.  I am fascinated by the dried fish.  It is laid it out in the sun for a while until it is gently dried.  Then it is grilled to perfection.  The meat inside is actually really tender.  It is nothing like the jerky you expect it to be. 

There is also a lot of fishcake - ground up fish that is put into a mold and either steamed, baked, or fried.  We found a fishcake (kamoboko is steamed, chikuwa is baked, and satsumaage is fried) vender that sold various flavors and served them on a stick.  I got kamoboko with pickled ginger.  My son picked satsumaage with octopus.  My husband chose a mixed satsumaage with a variety of seafood.  We took them outside and sat at a foot onsen overlooking the water.  We ate them while soaking our feet and looking out at a marina and the ocean.

After eating our fishcake, we went back to shopping.  There were lots of samples around.  Samples are often found in little bowls with spoons.  If it is easily picked up with a toothpick, toothpicks will be provided.  If there aren't toothpicks, proper etiquette calls for putting a spoonful into the palm of your hand and eating it directly from your hand.  There are often wet washcloths right there that you can wipe your hand off with, if needed.  However, most people carry a handkerchief (used to wipe their hands after washing them in public restrooms) and they often use these instead.

We sampled lots of things and bought lots of things.  Many of the items we purchased will be used in our bentos in the days to come. 

We took our time coming back home, strolling along and taking it easy.  Izu (and Ito) were nice to visit.  They were both pretty rural, but we didn't want to do a ton of things.  So, it really fit the bill.

Overnight in Izu - Day 1

Sometimes you need to get away from it all. A quick overnight trip is just what the doctor ordered for a bit of a mental health boost. Luckily in Japan there's a lot of quick getaways just a short train trip away. Living in Tokyo, there are a lot of options. Since my husband's family has a timeshare, we often let their locations dictate where we go. 

Izu is a small town about 2 hours south of Shinjuku station in Tokyo. It looked like a great place to get away for a night without too much hassle.  When we left this morning, I assumed we would be riding the Shinkansen to get from point A to point B, but we rode the Super View Odoriko.  The train is built for sightseeing with huge windows, comfortable seats, and a kids playroom. The staff sell goodies like ice cream to passengers. It is an experience all in itself.

Since we left from Shinjuku, we were able to pick up snacks at the train station. My son gets really excited about eating bentos, so we almost always get him one.  That way he doesn't become ravenous on the train and get grumpy before we even arrive at our destination. At most of the Shinkansen stations they have special kids bentos that come in cute train containers!  He picked a basic bento with onigiri, karaage, and other small bites, packed inside a Shinkansen train box.  As soon as we boarded he was ready to dig in.  

I love watching the towns go by and the landscape transition from city to suburbs to countryside as we chug along the tracks. Traveling by train is always so much more relaxing than in a car!  The fact that my son can get up and go play in a playroom is a huge bonus.  

We took the train one stop further than we needed on purpose, so we could go to Atagawa Tropical & Alligator Garden (in Japanese it's actually the Atagawa Banana & Alligator Garden, which cracks me up).  This unusual botanical garden/zoo is a sight to behold. The attraction is broken up into 3 facilities, each with different features.  

The first is mainly garden focused.  There is a "course" to follow up and down 4 stories of greenhouses on a hillside. I saw so many flowers today that I've never seen before. I was most impressed with the water lily garden.  I had no clue there were so many colorful water lily flowers.  As with every zoo I've encountered here, I was very sad to see a manatee in a super tiny tank.  I've come to the conclusion that Japanese people live in tiny homes and therefore don't understand the concept of animals living in wide open spaces.  At any rate, the gardens were super impressive.

The second facility, found across the street from the first, was the alligator zoo.  My, oh my. There's not much for me to say since the big gators really freak me out.  My son thought it was great and really liked seeing them up close. 

A shuttle bus took us up the steep hill aways to the third and final facility. This one focused on edible plants as well as a few animals. I really enjoyed the gardens in the first facility, but I was blown away by them here. The banana trees were so fascinating and there were so many things to look at.  I was enthralled.  My husband and son had to keep waiting for me because I was so slow!  I should have let them go ahead to the lesser pandas, crocodiles, flamingos, and tortoises while I dawdled in the plants.   I barely took any photos because I was just living in the moment and enjoying seeing everything.

At the end of the third facility, there is a cafe that has many offerings with things grown on sight. We enjoyed a fruit bowl and banana milk (basically a banana blended with milk with a little bit of vanilla). Both were delightful and the perfect pick me up after wandering around for several hours.  The bananas were amazing!

Oh, and by the way, there are stairs everywhere here!  As I walked around today, I kept thinking about how the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) would have a field day with doling out violatin notices here because it is not at all wheelchair friendly (and rightly so, in my opinion).  There was only 1 elevator in the whole facility that I saw and it led to more stairs!  While I appreciated the exercise, I couldn't stop thinking about all the people that would never be able to go here due to lack of mobility. 

After a couple hours at the garden/zoo, we headed to our timeshare to relax, eat too much food (more about the amazing cuisine in another post), soak in the onsen, and sleep. It's been a lovely day getting away from the stresses of everyday life. Now, I'm sitting on tatami, writing, and looking out at a beautiful moon reflecting on the ocean. And I'm feeling incredibly grateful to be right here, right now.  Japan still holds a lot of treasures yet to be discovered, one excursion at a time.  

Pancake heaven

Before my friends left yesterday, we decided to give the coffee shop with the promising pancakes another try.  We took my son to the park in the morning while we waited.  He entertained us with his climbing skills and flipping skills.  I noticed a long time ago in the states that he climbing structures were slowly disappearing.  They never left Japan.  Some of them are pretty ancient!  But kids are all over them anyway.  The parks here also still have those wonderful single bars that I grew up with as a child.  He is just like me in the fact that he could flip around and around those bars for what seems like eternity.  When you're waiting for pancakes, it is a great distraction!

Once our watches indicated 11 am, we headed off to get the pancakes!  We settled in quickly and ordered our food.  The pancakes take 20 minutes, as does the soufflé my friend ordered.  We happily agreed to the wait time because at least they weren't denying our order this time!

When the food arrived, we were all delighted that we had come back. 

My friend's strawberry French toast was so enticing.  The fresh berries (with whipped cream) were super sweet and the dish did not need any syrup. 

My other friend's soufflé with chocolate sauce was also divine.  He dug right in and found it to be delightfully light, yet filling.

My pancakes were the reason we had gone back.  Each pancake was about 2 inches tall!  I was expecting the pancakes to be dense, but they were light and fluffy.  Topped with a whipped cream sauce, a scoop of ice cream, and strawberries, it was more like dessert than breakfast.  I had to share, because there was no way I could finish those pancakes on my own.  But, boy, were they amazing!  I enjoyed every bite I took.

When I told my son we were going to the coffee shop for pancakes, he was super excited.  It actually made leaving the park much easier.  When we arrived, I totally expected my son to request the kid's meal with fluffy pancakes.  I gave him the menu with his choices and didn't really discuss it with him.  I figured he was fine deciding based on the photos in the menu.  When the waitress asked what he wanted, he ordered spaghetti! 

After our meal, my friend joked "I guess you'll be back here a lot!"  I responded with "Actually, no.  I can't buy clothes my size here already, so there's no way I can eat more pancakes!  These babies are not waist friendly at all."  But as a special treat?  Yes.  I'll be back - but always with a friend to share with!

Parting is such sweet sorrow

When you live abroad, everyone lives very, very far away.  Of course, you meet new friends, but there is nothing like the comfort of people that have known you for a really long time.  For the past week, two of our dearest friends have been staying with us.  I have loved every minute with them.  We toured around and saw some sights.  We ate until we had to loosen our belts.  And we laughed, just as we always have.  Over this week, we created new memories that we will cherish for a lifetime.  I am so very happy they came to stay with us.

Today I had to take them back to the airport.  It was time for them to go back to their lives.  After taking them as far as we could, I found myself repeating over and over "I will not cry."  But a few tears still rolled down.  My son clung to me, not wanting to say goodbye at all.  He clung tightly to me and wouldn't look at anyone until I made a joke and lighten the mood.  My husband said goodbye quickly and tersely, I think to not let himself be too venerable.  It was so hard. 

When you say goodbye to a visiting friend, it is so much more painful than a normal goodbye.  We don't know when we will be with each other again.  We hope it is soon, but that isn't guaranteed.  Sometimes even when you do have plans to see someone after a long absence, something happens and that meeting doesn't take place.  My best friend was sick when I visited the US and I'm still not over it. 

Standing there, with all the people rushing about, I wanted to make a scene.  I wanted to scream "don't go!!!"  But I know that I'm the one that left first.  And that feeling sucks.  My heart feels heavy.  My stomach burns with sadness.  My arms ache for them.  When we say goodbye it reawakens the isolation of being so far away on a daily basis.

After walking away, we went out for ice cream.  It wasn't for comfort.  It was giving us a chance to talk about our feelings before getting on the train.  My son needed the time to verbalize his sadness and I needed to validate his feelings.  There are times that the realization of the miles takes my breath away.  This is one of those days for all of us.

When we got back home, the house felt emptier.  I know it will take me a couple days to recover.  We will FaceTime soon, but it won't be enough.  We bid them farewell with heavy hearts, thankful for the special time we had together.

Whipping up a backpack

While wandering around Kawagoe today with my friends, we stopped by many shops with beautiful Japanese goods.  I could spend days admiring the beautiful items in these shops, many of them handmade or locally produced.  Even though I had gone to Kawagoe just a week ago, I found many treasures to take home.  Possibly too many treasures.  I just can't resist the sembei (rice crackers) and traditional Japanese fabric and wood carvings (to name a few).  Before I knew it, I needed a plastic bag because my purse was overflowing and I had forgotten my extra bag. 

I am not a fan of plastic bags and always try to carry a fabric bag or two in my purse so I don't need to get a plastic bag at every store.  Years ago, I had a friend who was VERY anti-plastic and taught me a lot about how all the plastic waste was affecting our planet.  Since then, I've been even more conscience of using cloth bags.  One of the first phrases I memorized in Japanese was "hukuro iranai" (I don't need a bag).

So there I was, accepting a plastic bag and feeling guilty for doing so.  I begrudgingly accepted it and put my stuff inside.  Towards the end of our day, I was passing by a shop when I stopped short.  There was a small backpack hanging in a store made out of furoshiki.  Furoshiki is a square piece of cloth used to wrap gifts, carry bento boxes, and transport items.  It is not to be confused with tenugui, a rectangle shaped hand towel.  Typically furoshiki is made with beautiful, decorative fabric.

The backpack was not only a fantastic idea (reminding me that I can use cloth squares versus plastic bags or even fabric bags), it was the perfect size for my son!

I went into the store and boldly, although not very eloquently, asked how they made the backpack.  This idea was ingenious and I needed to know how to do it myself.  The saleslady understood my request, but did not know how the furoshiki was folded, so she took me to the back of the store and asked the older gentleman who was perched next to the cash register.  He appeared to be humored by my interest and pulled out a book that had instructions for the backpack. 

In my excitement, I asked if they sold the book.  He told me he purchased in on the internet.  So, now I will need to go find the book on the internet!  But he proceeded to show me the instructions and even let me take a photo of them. 

I then purchased two furoshikis that were 70 cm x 70 cm.  These would make the perfect sized backpack for my four year old.  I thanked the two sales people profusely and went on my way.

Once on the train, I had a moment to put everything together and make the backpack.  I rolled one cloth to make the straps and tied the other around my sembei like a taco (leaving the ends open).  I then tied the two cloths together, affixing the center of the strap to the center of the taco knot and tying the two ends together as well.  My son was super excited and wanted to put it on immediately.

While assembling the backpack, I noticed an old woman across from us on the train watching intently.  She had the sweetest smile on her face as I completed my task.  At that moment, I felt like I had won some major Japanese culture points.  So many people have left this beautiful tradition behind for the convenience of plastic and paper bags.  It seems like such a shame.  But hopefully there will be a resurgence and I will be ahead of the game.  To me using furoshiki is a win-win - you get to carry around beautiful pieces fabric and you're not wasting plastic bags!

Playing tour guide

I am so happy when we have friends visiting.  It is so wonderful to have friendly faces that I've known for years.  I am more relaxed with them here because I don't have to be "on" or performing.  I can just be myself in front of them.  I don't need to explain myself and they don't either.  We have already been through all that!

There are certain duties that require extra work and effort when we have guests.  There is a bit more housework and menu planning.  But that is SO worth the extra time and thought!  The one item that can be nerve wracking is playing tour guide.  In the US, we would have guests and I could show them around so easily.  I knew great little hidden gems and fun things to do.  But here, I want our friends trip to be so memorable.  I want to show them unique things and give them a great Japanese experience.  Coming here isn't like driving a couple hours or even flying a short distance to a new city.  This is an experience!  And I want them to go home with a new appreciation of where I live.

My husband and I plan out our visitor's time with us as much as we can.  We want to take everyone to see the major sites and have unique experiences at the same time.  So that means getting around the city a lot.  If my husband is with us (he does go to work, even when we have guests),  I let him lead the way.  But if he is at the office, I am responsible for getting us from point A to point B and it can be quiet stressful.  I have yet to get anyone seriously lost (thank goodness for GPS), but I'm still worried that I'll get us turned around and we'll end up in no man's land.  Of course, this is Tokyo and there really isn't such a thing as no man's land!

Image courtesy of: http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/subwaymap/index.html

No matter what, I often question myself.  Did I give them enough during their trip?  Am I really showing them everything that they want to see?  Was the journey worth it for them?  I know this is all in my head and my friends (and family) are so happy when they come.  But it still weighs on me nonetheless. 

Today I felt a bit under the weather (which was quiet fitting since it POURED this morning).  My friends kept saying "we can stay in!"  But, I just couldn't listen.  They are here for such a short time that I didn't want it spent just hanging out at my house.  Back in Seattle, I probably would have been fine with relaxing and taking a day off.  We visited Asakusa (since it meant being in the elements for a limited amount of time and we could schedule our day around the downpours).  Everyone enjoyed the adventure and, once again, we didn't get lost.

I guess that's all a visitor can really ask when staying with a friend, show them something new/interesting and do it with someone who is a bit familiar with the area.  I do my best.  And luckily, that is all my friends ask of me!

Apple pie in the sky

There's something about apple pie that makes most people happy.  To me, it feels like happy memories.  It makes me think of picnics in the US with friends and family and brings a smile to my face.  My husband usually hates it.  He hates cinnamon and therefore does not like the combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar that brings apple pie to life.  My husband is not a picky eater, so I've had to take this distaste with a grain of salt over the years.  If I want some cinnamon-y goodness, he isn't going to share it with me.  Sometimes that's a good thing, other times it is a pain (only when I really want to share something and it won't be good later).

As a matter of fact, cinnamon is a flavor that isn't very popular in Japan and can be hard to find.  The one exception that I've found is yatsuhashi (a Kyoto specialty). 

I've seen several pie shops that have popped up in the area, like Pie Holic, many of them offering apple pie.  I'm sure the target audience is geared toward foreigners, but this item has hit fad status in these parts.  I've tried the one at Pie Holic and was not super impressed.  It was fine, but their other pies (specifically their strawberry pie) are much better.

In Ikebukuro, right next to the train station, there is a little shop called Ringo.  It is like many of my favorite Japanese shops, as it only sells one thing.  Ringo makes custard cream apple pies. 

In true Tokyo style, there is always a line out the door.  The shop consists of a huge table filled with the pies and a cash register.  There is a small area to stand and tell the cashier how many pies you would like to purchase.  There are no tables and no seats.  It is a take-out only establishment. 

These handpies are made with puff pastry, apples, and custard.  There isn't any cinnamon in them, but it really doesn't need it.  The crust is so flaky and the filling is well balanced.  They are a handful of happiness. 

Unfortunately, there is a limit of 4 pies per person.  This can be a bad thing when your family of 3 is hosting 2 or more friends.  Luckily, I was showing my friends around the neighborhood so we could break up the purchase and be able to buy enough for our group!

After a long day of shopping, going to Sunshine Aquarium, and walking long distances, we were so happy to enjoy a little bit of American joy.  Also, I really needed a food win after yesterday's pancake debacle.  We hauled our treasures home and the little pastries did not disappoint.  Even my husband enjoyed the apple pie, probably due to the lack of cinnamon.